Hayfork



Jan. 7, 1941. OKEEFF I 2,227,793

HAYFORK Filed July 9, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 In ventor EL'A/JAM/A/Q 0701MA iiorneys Jan. 7, 1941. a OKEEFFE 2,227,793

HAYFORK Fi led July 9, 1940 2 sheets-sheet z I A A itomeys Patented Jan.7, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE HAYFORK Benjamin OKeefle, Fields,Oreg.

Application July 9, 1940, Serial No. 344,576

mlgunted in its lower end portion a plug orthe 1i e Slidably mounted inthe inner tube 5 and extending below the lowerend thereof is a rod 8.Secured on the lower end portion of the rod 8 is a crosshead 9. Mountedtransversely beneath the crosshead 9 is a foot I for engagement with thehay. A coil spring II encircles the lower portion of the rod 8 and isengaged with .the crosshead 9 for yieldingly urging said rod downwardly.

Secured on an upper portion of the rod 8 is a ratchet bar I2 which isadapted to travel in the slots 6 and 2. Mounted on the outer tube I is asplit clamp I3 comprising spaced, opposed resilient legs I4 on its endshaving pressed therein sockets I5. Pivotally mounted ona shaft or pin I6in the clamp I3 is a pawl I! which is engageable with the ratchet I2 for'releasably securing the rod 8 in raised or elevated position againstthe tension of the coil spring I I and under the weight of the load. Thepawl I'I includes an outwardly curved tail I8 to which a releasing cableI9 is connected. A cam 20 on the rod 8 is engageable with the tail I8 ofthe pawl I! for throwing said pawl back into engagement with the ratchetI2 after the load has been tripped. The pawl I1 further includes a lug2I having detents 22 thereon engageable in the sockets I for releasablysecuring said pawl in disengaged or inoperative position.

Mounted on the lower portion of the inner tube 5 are pairs of inclined,diverging arms 23. Pivotally mounted at intermediate points between thepairs of arms 23 are angular grapples 24. Links 25 connect the innerends of the grapples 4 Claims.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in hayforksand has for its primary object to provide, in a device of this charactercomprising pivotally mounted coacting 5 grapples, novel means forclosing said grapples on the hay when said device is lowered thereon.

Another very important object of the invention is to provide a hayforkof the aforementioned character including unique means for releasablysecuring the grapples in closed position.

Still another very important object of the invention is to provide ahayfork of the character described which is adapted to yieldinglysupport the load when it is picked up.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a hayfork of the characterset forth which will be comparatively simple in construction, strong,durable, highly efficient and reliable in use, com.- pact, light inweight and which may be manufactured at low cost.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of theinvention will become apparent from a study of the followingspecification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawingswherein like characters of reference designate corresponding partsthroughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a View in side elevation of a hayfork constructed inaccordance with the present invention.

Figure 2' is a view in horizontal section, taken substantially on theline 22 of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view through the lower portion of thedevice, taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view, taken substantially on the line4-4 of Fig. 1.

Figure 5 is a detail view in cross section through the dog securingmeans.

Figure 6 is a detail view in perspective of one of the grapple operatinglinks.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that theembodiment of the invention which has been illustrated comprises ametallic 45 tube I which may be secured in any suitable manner to aderrick. The tube I has formed therein a vertical slot 2. Fixed on thelower end portion of the tube I is a collar 3 from diametricallyopposite sides of which apertured ears 4 project.

Slidably mounted in the tube I is another tube 5. The inner tube 5 hasformed therein a vertical slot 6 which communicates with the slot 2 inthe outer tube I. The inner tube 5 extends 24 to the crosshead 9.

tween the inner portions of the pairs of arms 23 and extending slidablythrough the apertured ears 4 are supporting rods 26. The rods 26 areprovided with heads 21 on their upper ends. The heads 21 may, ifdesired, be in the form of nuts. Coil springs 28 on the rods 26 rest onthe ears 4 and are engaged beneath the heads 21 for yieldinglysupporting the arms 23, the grapples 24, etc., on the lower end of theouter tube I.

It is thouglrt that the operation of the device will be readily apparentfrom a consideration of the foregoing. Briefly, with the rod 8 and thefoot ID in lowered position, the device is lowered on the hay. As thefork is pushed downwardly on the hay the rod 8 is forced upwardlyagainst the tension of the coil spring II thereby swinging the grapples24 inwardly to closed position on said hay through the medium of thelinks cures the rod 8 in raised position thus locking the grapples 24 onthe hay. The device is now raised through the medium of a suitablederrick and the coil springs 28 yieldingly support the load. To dump theload of hay the pawl H is tripped through the medium of the cable It forreleasing the ratchet I 2 thereby permitting the grapples 24 to swingopen. When the pawl l! is tripped the detents 22 engage in the socketsl5 of the resilient clamp l3 for securing the pawl in inoperativeposition. This renders it unnecessary to hold the trip cable I9. Whenthe load is dumped the rod 8 moves downwardly again and the cam engagesthe member I 8 and kicks the pawl l1 free of the clamp l3 for engagementwith the ratchet I2.

lit is believed that the many advantages of a hayfork constructed inaccordance with the present invention will be readily understood andalthough a preferred embodiment of the device is as illustrated anddescribed, it is to be understood rthat changes in the details ofconstruction and in the combination and arrangement of parts may beresorted to which will fall within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A hayfork comprising a vertical outer tube, an inner tube slidable insaid outer tube and extending below the lower end thereof, armsprojecting from the lower portion of the inner tube, grapples pivotallymounted on said arms, a rod slidable in the inner tube and extendingbelow the lower end thereof, links operatively connecting the grapplesto said rod, means for releasably securing the rod in raised position,and means for yieldingly supporting the inner tube in the outer tube.

2. A hayfork comprising a vertical outer tube, an inner tube slidable insaid outer tub-e and extending downwardly therefrom, pairs of divergingarms on the lower portion of the inner tube, grapples pivotally mountedbetween said pairsof arms, a rodslidable in the inner tube and extendingdownwardly therefrom, a crosshead on the lower end portion of said rod,links operatively connecting the grapples to said crosshead, a hayengaging foot mounted on said crosshead, a spring operatively connectedto the rod for yieldingly urging said rod downwardly for opening thegrapples, means for releasably securing the rod in raised position, andmeans for yieldingly supporting the inner tube in the outer tube.

3. A hayfork comprising a verticalouter tube, an inner tube slidable insaid outer tube and extending downwardly therefrom, pairs of divergingarms on the lower portion of the inner tube, grapples pivotally mountedbetween said pairs of arms, a rod slidable in the inner tube andextending downwardly therefrom, a crosshead on the lower end portion ofsaid rod, links operatively connecting the grapples to said crosshead, ahay engaging foot mounted on said crosshead, a spring operativelyconnected to the rod for yieldingly urging said rod downwardly foropening the grapples, means for releasably securing the rod in raisedposition, and means for yieldingly supporting the inner tube in theouter tube, the last named means including apertured ears projectingfrom the lower portion of the outer tube, rods pivotally mounted betweenthe pairs of arms and extending slidably through said ears, and coilsprings resting on the ears and operatively connected to the rods foryieldingly supporting same.

4. A hayfork comprising a vertical outer tube, an inner tube slidable insaid outer tube, the tubes having communicating slots therein, a rodslidable in the inner tube, grapples mounted on [the inner tube, meansoperatively connecting said grapples to the rod for actuation thereby, aratchet on the rod operable in the slots, and a pawl mounted on theouter tube and engageable with the ratchet for releasably securing therod in raised position.

BENJAMIN OKEEFFE.

